Children's Rhyming Picture Book: Night Cars

Night Cars by Teddy Jam illustrated by Eric Beddows, Orchard Books, New York, 1988.
The illustrations are fascinating this book.  Throughout the book we see Baby, who is having a hard time going to sleep.  Instead he likes to look out the window at the cars and the many things going on in the city.  He sees a snow storm, and the snow plows, a fire engine and many more sights.

Lexi Walker - Christmas Songs

Someone put together a synopsis of Lexi Walker's Christmas songs.  By the end of the list, they were stretching a bit, including songs she was singing in a group; However Lexi has a very beautiful voice, and her songs can brighten the Holiday season. 

Movie Review: ***^Murder on the Orient Express (2017)

This movie represents a fascinating look at the Agatha Christie classic.  The cast of character is also very interesting.  Kenneth Branagh plays our detective hero, Hercule Poirot.  Bouc, his traveling companion is played by Tom Bateman.  And then the other passengers on the train, who all become the subject of an investigation as Poirot is called upon to solve a murder where a passenger is stabbed a dozen times and killed.  Other actors include: Penelope Cruz, Willem Dafoe, Judi Dench, Johnny Depp, Josh Gad, Derek Jacobi, Leslie Odom Jr., Michelle Pfeiffer and Daisy Ridley.  Kenneth Branagh also directed.  Each of these characters comes together with the other is a most peculiar way, which is what makes for the twist at the end of the movie.  I can't say I enjoyed this version better than the original from the 1970s.  However it does see true to the story, and the mystery.

Music Review: Uintah Basin Orchestra and Chorus: 2015 Christmas Concert

Uintah Basin Orchestra and Chorus: 2015 Christmas Concert

This orchestra and choral concert just keeps getting bigger and bigger.  This year there are more singers, more orchestra members, children singers, more dancers.  It is just more.  I keep looking for Dennis Hatch whose name is on the program, and I did Star of Justice with Dennis Hatch.  I felt the highlight of this entire concert is in the 41st minute, the children's chorus sings the Wexford Carol.  

Movie Review: ****^Thor Ragnarok (2017)

Lots of interesting action in this movie, and lots of heroes.  Hela (Cate Blanchett) is back.  She is the oldest daughter of Odin (Anthony Hopkins), and served at his side during Odin's warring period.  However as Odin became more peaceful, and Hela wished to continue warring, she was confined.  Now she is back, and the first thing she does is destroy Thor's hammer and then banish Thor (Chris Hemsworth) and Loki (Tom Hiddleston) to a throw away world.  There Loki takes up politics, and Thor becomes a gladiator and set to face The Hulk (Mark Ruffalo).  The Grandmaster (Jeff Goldblum) of the games likes his champion and makes sure Hulk wins.  But the Hulk takes Thor to his room, where Thor plans his escape with Hulk and Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson) his captor, who is also from Asgard.  They refuse, but he leaves anyway, towards Hulk's space ship to get off the planet.  Hulk follows him.  Hulk has been the Hulk steady for over two years, but in the spacecraft he hears the voice of Natasha Romanoff, and converts to Bruce Banner.  Then Loki and Valkyrie also show up, but they need a better vessel to get through a worm hole, and Loki helps them steal a vessel, but he has turning over Thor on his mind.  This is thwarted, and he is left with the escaping slaves of the planet.  Thor makes it back to Asgard, just in time, as Hela has control, and is about to wrest the sword controlling the bridge from Heimdall (Idris Elba).  This paves the way to a great struggle.  Hela is just too powerful, except for maybe against, Surtur, who according to prophesy will destroy Asgard.
This movie takes a plot change at the end, and desperate measure are needed to rescue the people of Asgard.
Tony and I saw this, and we had a good time.  Loved the action, and the characters, and also the banter between Thor and Hulk.

Marvel Universe

Picture Book Review: Fanny

Fanny A Serendipity Book, written by Stephen Cosgrove, illustrated by Robin James, Price Stern Sloan, Los Angeles, 1987.
This is a story of a three-legged cat.  The cat just wants to have friends, but the other animals, especially the adults, influencing their kids, make sure the little cat is not bothered.  "Don't talk to her, you would just embarrass her, besides she has nothing to say."  It takes a little puppy to break through the prejudice.  Puppies are just happy go lucky and don't listen to what others say.  Of course Ruby and Fanny became friends.  You see Ruby was a licking dog, and Fanny licked right back.  Soon the other animals started warming up, and discovered Fanny had a lot to say, and she wasn't embarrassed.  "Being handicapped is only a state of mine."

Music Review: Disney Timeless Classics

This C.D. (2013) has something for everyone, and lots for the Disney fan.  Some of these songs go back a long ways, and bring back fond memories.  It represents a wide variety of Disney movies and t.v.  For example there is "Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf" from an early cartoon.  However these are mostly movie songs, "Whistle While you Work," (Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs) "When You Wish Upon a Star,"(Pinocchio) "When I see an Elephant Fly" (Dumbo) and "Little April Shower" (Bambi) are some early Disney classics.  "The Three Caballeros" reminds me of "Ay Jalisco".  There is "Zip-A-Dee-Doo Dah" sung by James Baskett and Burl Ives sings "Lavender Blue" (So Dear to my Heart).  Other later classics include: "A Dream is a Wish You Heart Makes" (Cinderella) and "What a Dog" (Lady and the Tramp) "Once Upon a Dream" (Sleeping Beauty) and "Cruella De Vil" (101 Dalmatians). 
My favorite of all the songs is Julie Andrews, "A Spoonful of Sugar" (Mary Poppins).  Burl Ives sings another, "The Ugly Bug Ball" (Summer Magic).  Pearl Bailey offers up "Best of Friends" (Fox and Hound), which is the concluding number to the C.D. and a beautiful place to stop. 
This C.D. is for Disney lovers.  Reminds me of the sing-a-long videos we use to have.

Picture Book Review: The Keeping Quilt

This is a fascinating picture book.  It tells the story of a family, using a quilt.  When Anna's family moves to America from Russia, they left many things behind in the old country.  Mother makes this quilt out of items that were getting old, and gives them new life in providing an object to help them tell each new generation about their history.  And so the keeping quilt is handed down.  It is used for wrapping babies, for picnic lunches, and to provide the canopy for weddings.  This story runs through Anna's death, and the telling of the history to children, grand children and great grand children. 

Movie Review: ***Evan Almighty (2007)

In the Almighty movies we have modern day interactions with God.  In this case God is played by Morgan Freeman and a Noah like character, Evan Baxter, is played by Steve Carell.  Baxter is a young congressman.  He is taken in as a co sponsor on a bill to loosen environmental regulations and make it easier to develop land.  The bills sponsor is Congressman Long (John Goodman).  God comes to Baxter, and tells him to build an ark.  Baxter lives in a new subdivision close to Washington, D.C.  The purchase extra lots for the boat, and supplies begin to arrive.  Baxter's wife (Lauren Graham) is terribly confused.  She is even more confused when Baxter starts to look like Noah.  However, Baxter is finally able to convince his family, wife and three boys) to join him in the project.  They reconnect as a result of working on the ark together.
In the meantime things are not going well in congress.  Baxter withdraws his support of the bill.  Long is looking for revenge.  He does this by trying to force baxter out of congress.  He also takes aim at the ark.  He gets an order to have it destroyed.  baxter is convinces a storm is to arrive any moment.  Along with this animals have come and entered the ark.  However the storm doesn't come, except for a downpour which doesn't last very long.  However a dam breaks, and a wall of water washes them away.  All Baxter's neighbors, after chastising him in unbelief quickly enter the ark.  The are saved, and the ark is carried to congress buy the current.
This movie lets us know that miracles are not dead.  There is one last meeting between God and Baxter, which puts a final touch on the movie.

Picture Book Review: Ming Ling

Ming Ling by Stephen Cosgrove, illustrated by Robin James, A Serendipity Book, Price Stern Sloan, Los Angeles, 1978.

MingLing is a panda.  He is a panda that likes quiet so he can sleep.  As such he becomes grouchy with all the birds, until he drives them away.  But then things are too quiet.  He then meets a parrot who teaches Ming Ling and important lesson.  Could Ming Ling ever get things to where he could enjoy life in the bamboo forest.  I like the conclusion, "If you live in a forest and don't know how to share it, remember a panda named Ming Ling and a very sill parrot.

Movie Review: ****^Matilda (1996)

A delightful movie.  This film features Mara Wilson as Matilda, a super intelligent girl, who discovers she has special powers to move things with her mind.  However her parents do not care about her.  A husband and wife team Danny DeVito and Rhea Perlman play Mr. and Mrs. Wormwood.  Mr. Wormwood plays a used car salesman who is also stealing car parts and gets in trouble with the law.  They send Matilda to a terrible school, Crunchem Hall Elementary School, where Mrs. Trunchbull (Pam Ferris) rules with an iron fist, putting down children and verbally and emotionally and sometimes physically abusing the children.  This is contrasted by her niece, who is Matilda's teacher, Miss Honey (Embeth Davidtz).  This story is about getting revenge (on a mean principal) and finding love (with Miss Honey.)  I love Mara Wilson as she brings great excitement to the screen.  The relationship between she and Miss Honey is special.  Danny DeVito directs this Roald Dahl story. 

Music Review: Mandy Patinkin Kidults

This is a Kids and Adults CD from Mandy Patinkin with guest Kristin Chenoweth.  The duets are what make this cd special.  Some of the songs are too slow, and at one point Patinkin even makes fun of this "Hurry up, you're killing me here." 
For the highlights: "Soon It's Going to Rain" with Chenoweth is a show stopper.  These two really mesh well together.  They also hit a home run together with the medley which includes "Time in a Bottle."  That song brings back good memories.
I really like the story telling in "Everybody Says Don't" and "The King's New Clothes." 
A very special number is "Cat's in a Cradle."  Patinkin adds voice inflection which really highlights the story of this song.  This is very much the high light and I could listen to this over and over.  Written by Harry and Sandra Chapin.
Patinkin also sings the Stephen Sondheim songs, "Not While I'm Around" which is about protecting children from harm.

Lemony Snickett: The Unauthorized Autobiography

Lemony Snickett: The Unauthorized Autobiography, Harper Collins Publishers, New York, 2002.

This is more of the same as the Unfortunate Events series.  However in this case there is no plot.  There is a chapter where a person disguised as a cow is wandering around to discover what happened to Uncle Monty’s reptile collection.  This book has the same style, of just wandering form this to that without any reason.  The Unfortunate Event books had a plot.  This does no, but is written in the same style.  The only part I enjoyed was the explanation of why the telegraphs sent by the Baudelaire children were unanswered.  The answer is that the bank was convinced that telegrams could cause harm.  Many people were easily manipulated which allowed the unfortunate events to take place. 

Picture Book Review: The Tiny Seed

The Tiny Seed by Eric Carle, Little Simon, New York, 1987. 

This is a good story of the life cycle of a plant.  First in the autumn it floats on the wind.  Some of the fellow seeds don’t make it, the fall in the water, or are scorched by the sun.  However some make it to good soil, where they stay all winter under the snow.  A mouse eats some, a bird another, but a few begin to grow.  Some are choked by weeds, or pulled and given to a girlfriend, or stomped by feet.  The Tiny See becomes the biggest flower of all; and then in autumn his leaves all blow off, and his seeds ride the wind.

Very interesting artwork, which appears to be from a sponges; it has a nice texture.

Picture Book Review: The Little Engine that Could

The Little Engine that Could by Watty Piper, illustrated by George and Doris Hauman, Platt and Munk Publishers, New York, 1930.

This is a classic positive thinking book.  Toys and good things to eat need an engine to take them over the mountain to the children.  First the passenger engine is too important, and the freight engine is too busy.  The old engine says “I can not, I can not.”  But the little engine, who has never been over the mountain says “I think I can, I think I can.” And does. 

The Emperor's New Clothes

The Emperor's New Clothes by Hans Christian Anderson, retold by Carol Sorgen, A mini fairy tale Classic, Ottenheimer Publishers, 1995.

I did not remember this tale as being Hans Christian Anderson.  It is one of those classic stories.  This story shows us that naivete is sometimes pure wisdom.  And why should the emperor run around in his underwear, just to show that he was smart.  Sometimes pride can get the best of us.